Apparatus and method for patching screens



y 1966 J. B. TEMPLETON APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PATCHING SCREENS Filed May 17. 1963 Illll'llllllllll M INVENTOR. zm zZ'-ru Warmer/ WZZZJQM/ United States Patent 3,261,393 APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR PATCHING SCREENS John B. Templeton, Hinsdale, Ill., assignor to Templeton, Kenly & Company, Broadview, 111., a corporation of Illinois Filed May 17, 1963, Ser. No. 281,227 2 Claims. (Cl. 160-237) This invention relates to means for patching holes in window screens, and more particularly relates to a method and apparatus by which such holes may be plugged while maintaining a neat and attractive appearance.

In the prior art, it has been customary to patch damaged window screens by overlying the hole or damaged area with a piece of screening material of approximately the same mesh, and then bending or otherwise interweaving the wires of the patch with the wires of the original screen. While this procedure is effective in keeping out insects and the like, there is invariably an outline around the patch defined by the increased density of wires at that location. This detracts from the appearance of the window screen. The technique is also time consuming and requires considerable skill.

The present invention therefore has for its principal object, the provision of a method and apparatus for repairing damaged window screens without detracting from the appearance of the screen or while actually augmenting the attractiveness thereof.

Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become manifest upon an examination of the accompanying specification, claims and drawings.

In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a threaded shaft adapted to be inserted into the hole and retained therein by a flattened head secured to the shaft on one side of the screen, and by a washer and thumb screw on the other side of the screen. The flattened head supports an ornamental figure or design large enough to obscure the supporting assembly from sight.

In another embodiment, a pair of flattened surfaces are adapted to support an ornamental figure, one such surface being on each side of the screen, thereby to obscure both the hole and the supporting assembly from both sides of the screen.

Reference will now be made to the accompanying specification and drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a damaged window screen;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of the screen which has been patched in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of an illustrative embodiment of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a portion of the apparatus of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a side view of an alternative embodiment of the apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention; and

FIG. 6 is a rear view of another alternative embodi ment of the present invention.

Referring now to the drawings, FIGS. 1 and 2 illustrate views of a damaged window screen 10, before and after patching by means of a patch '12, in accordance with the present invention. In FIG. 2, the external form of the patch 12 is in the shape of a butterfly ornament 14, and preferably is appropriately colored and designed to constitute an attractive ornament affixed to the screen. The

shape of the butterfly completely obscures the damaged I 3,261,393 Patented July 19, 1966 ice butterfly, to suit the color scheme and decor of the room in which the damaged screen is located, as well as to suit individual artistic tastes.

The ornament 14 is secured to a supporting member 16 having a surface 17, prefer-ably by cementing the same thereto, and the ornament 14 may then be constructed of any material such as plastic, cloth, Wood, or 'the like. A metal ornament can, of course, be soldered or welded to the supporting surface 17. Alternatively, the ornament 14 and its supporting surface 17 may be integral, as by forming the same of a moldable material such as plastic. It is contemplated that the supporting member 16 may be constructed in a variety of sizes, to accommodate diiferent size holes in the window screen. In each case, the ornament 14 is sufiiciently broad to completely cover the supporting member 16, and obscure the same, as in FIG. 2. The supporting member 16 is preferably metal having a lock 19, struck out on one or more sides engageable with part of the screen 10 to prevent the supporting member 16 from rotating about the shaft 18.

A threaded shaft 18 is secured to the supporting member 16, and extends therefrom, adaptable to be inserted through a hole in the screen to be patched, with the surface 17 generally parallel to the screen. A washer 22 is then placed on the shaft 18, from the other side of the screen, and a nut 20 is run up the shaft 18 to engage the washer 22, thereby to compress the screen 10 between the washer 22 and the supporting member 16, to hold the assembly in place with respect to the screen.

While the use of larger supporting members 16 is suggested above in the event of large areas requiring repair, it is also contemplated that a plurality of supporting members 16 may be secured to a single ornament 14, as illustrated in FIG. 6. Such a construction has the advantage of a more secure connection with no possibility of rotation and permits utilizing the more solid screen portions to support the supporting members 16.

In FIG. 5, an alternative embodiment is illustrated including a pair of supporting surfaces 24 and 26, adapted to be placed on opposite sides of a screen (not shown). A pair of ornaments 14 and 14 are secured to the supporting surfaces 24 and 26 in the same manner as has been described, thereby to obscure the whole of the supporting assembly from both sides of the screen. The surfaces 24 and 26 are provided, respectively, with snap connectors 28 and 30, which engage each other to hold the two supporting members 24 and 26 in place on opposite sides of the screen. The supporting surface 26 is provided with a boss 32 to which its connector 30 is secured, and the length or thickness of the boss 32 is designed to permit the assembly to be supported by a given thickness of window screen, and is such as to cause the supporting surfaces 24 and 26 to resiliently compress the screen enough to hold the plug in place, but insufiicient to break the connection between the snap connectors 28 and 30. Different size bosses 32 may be required to satisfactorily patch screens having substantially different thicknesses of screen wire.

The foregoing will so fully and clearly describe the character of the present invention that others may, by using current'knowledge, adapt the same for use under varying conditions, without departing from the essential features of novelty involved, which are intended to be defined and secured by the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A patch for repairing a hole in a window screen comprising first and second spaced-apart engaging members for engaging portions of the opposite sides of said screen at locations adjacent said hole, both of said engaging members having the form of flat disks, said first engaging member having a pointed lock struck therefrom for enwith said first engaging member and extending outwardly from one side of said first engaging member through said hole, said second engaging member having an aperture for receiving said threaded shaft, a nut threadably mounted on said shaft on the opposite side of said second engaging member from said screen, for holding said patch in position relative to said screen, and an ornamental member mounted on the opposite side of said first engaging member from said screen and completely covering said opposite side.

2. A patch for repairing a hole in a Window screen comprising first and second spaced-apart engaging members for engaging portions of the opposite sides of said screen at locations adjacent said hole, both of said engaging members having the form of flat disks, one of said engaging members having a pointed lock struck therefrom for engaging a portion of said screen to prevent said patch from rotating relative to said screen, said first engaging member having a centrally disposed boss projecting from one side of said member into said hole, a snap fastener having a plug and a socket secured to facing portions of said second engaging member and said boss, said boss having a thickness in the direction transverse to the 25 plane of said window screen which, when added to the corresponding dimension of said snap fastener, is sub- ,ssa

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 697,106 4/1902 SchOfield 160-237 1,048,385 12/1912 BaI'StOW 152369 1,057,241 3/1913 Hornung 152- 369 1,184,136 5/1916 Sampson 152369 1,451,121 4/1923 Simpson et a1 152-368 1,571,019 1/1926 Lucas 160237 1,753,688 4/1930 Boscardin 152--369 2,432,457 12/1947 Stevens 152-369 2,475,714 7/1949 Stevens 152369 2,487,830 11/1949 Robbins 160237 X 2,656,578 10/1953 TWOrek 24--108 2,901,796 9/1959 Hope 24108 2,937,700 5/1960 Gibbons 160327 X 3,019,887 2/1962 Lowden 151-41.73 3,088,295 5/1963 Haines 24108 X HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

CHARLES E. OCONNELL, Examiner.

R. R. RATH, P. M. CAUN, Assistant Examiners. 

1. A PATCH FOR REPAIRING A HOLE IN A WINDOW SCREEN COMPRISING FIRST AND SECOND SPACED-APART ENGAGING MEMBERS FOR ENGAGING PORTIONS OF THE OPPOSITE SIDES OF SAID SCREEN AT LOCATIONS ADJACENT SAID HOLE, BOTH OF SAID ENGAGING MEMBERS HAVING THE FORM OF FLAT DISKS, SAID FIRST ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING A POINTED LOCK STRUCK THEREFROM FOR ENGAGING A PORTION OF SAID SCREEN TO PREVENT SAID PATH FROM ROTATING RELATIVE TO SAID SCREEN, A THREADED SHAFT INTEGRAL WITH SAID FIRST ENGAGING MEMBER AND EXTENDING OUTWARDLY FROM ONE SIDE OF SAID FIRST ENGAGING MEMBER THROUGH SAID HOLE, SAID SECOND ENGAGING MEMBER HAVING AN APERTURE FOR RECEIVING SAID THREADED SHAFT, A NUT THREADABLY MOUNTED ON SAID SHAFT ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID SECOND ENGAGING MEMBER FROM SAID SCREEN, AND AN ORNAMENTAL MEMBER TION RELATIVE TO SAID SCREEN, AND AN ORNAMENTAL MEMBER MOUNTED ON THE OPPOSITE SIDE OF SAID FIRST ENGAGING MEMBER FROM SAID SCREEN AND COMPLETELY COVERING SAID OPPOSITE SIDE. 